• Inattention
• Compliance
• Motor Activity
• Socialization
• Mood
• Academic Skills
• Organization Planning

Inattention

• Seat student near teacher or good role model


• Minimize distractions; seat at his/her own desk


• Place child at front of room


• Break assignments into short segments, use a timer


• Assist student in setting short-term goals


• Work within child's attention span; change type of work frequently


• Give clear, concise instructions


• Cue student to stay on task, (ie. private signal -- hand on shoulder)


• Help student organize time


• Use both written and oral instructions


• Shorten homework assignments and avoid long repetitive tasks helps

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Compliance

• Praise compliant behavior


• Give frequent, immediate, consistent feedback


• Avoid calling on them when their attention is drifting


• Help student with self-monitoring of behavior


• Set up behavior contract


• Have specific rules and clear consequences


• Use teacher attention to reinforce positive behavior


• Set regular one-on-one meetings to discuss child's behavior

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• Increase immediacy of rewards and consequences


• Use time-outs for misbehavior


• Supervise closely during transition times


• Call only when hand is raised in appropriate manner


• Seat student near good role model


• Acknowledge positive behaviors


• Students do well with predictability and routine, but often have high levels of creativity so routine should not be so rigid as to stifle inventiveness


• Can benefit from doing errands for teacher to allow for diversion of excess energy

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Motor Activity

• Allow student to stand at times while working


• Provide short breaks between assignments


• Give extra time to complete tasks


• Remind student to check over work if performance is rushed or careless

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Socialization

• Praise appropriate behavior


• Provide small group social skills training


• Assign special responsibilities to student in presence of other students


• Set up social behavior goals with student; include rewards


• Prompt appropriate social behavior with private signal

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Mood

• Provide reassurance and encouragement


• Send positive notes home


• Watch for signs of stress and provide encouragement or reduce work load to avoid temper outburst


• Reinforce frequently when signs of frustration are noticed


• Provide training in anger control


• Conference frequently with parents to learn about student interests and achievements outside of school


• Look for opportunities for student to have leadership role in class


• Review instructions and assignments to make sure student comprehends what is being asked

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Academic Skills

If reading is weak:


• Select text with less on a page Avoid oral reading


• Provide additional reading time


• Use "previewing strategies"


• During reading, students should learn to identify main ideas and supporting details


• Teach scanning skills


• Help develop outlining and summarizing skills -- cycle of read, underline, summarize

If oral expression is weak:


• Substitute display for oral report


• Accept all oral responses


• Encourage to tell about new ideas or experiences


• Pick topics easy for the student to talk about

If written language is weak:


• Accept displays and oral projects in place of written reports


• Accept use of computer and recorded work


• Do not penalize poor handwriting if visual-motor deficits are present


• Encourage learning of keyboarding skills


• Use tests with multiple choice and fill in questions


• Don't assign large quantity of written work

If math is weak:


• Allow use of calculator


• Use graph paper to space numbers


• Provide immediate correction and feedback via modeling of how to compute the correct answer

General skills:


• Teach methods of self-assessment. Teach how to proofread what they've written as if they were the teacher; or self-test to check mastery or retention of what they've read.
• Colored pencils may help motivate.


• Help student develop skills in maintaining a neat and accessible notebook


• Specific instruction about maintaining an assignment pad and checking back for understanding about expectations


• Help students get assignments and books home and back to school by establishing a routine and a predetermined place to keep books and bags


• Teach test taking skills -- how to allocate time, answer easy questions first and learn to relax

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Organization Planning

• Ask for parental help in encouraging organization


• Clearly give organization rules, show and tell


• Encourage student to have notebook with dividers and folders for work; color coding will help


• Have student use assignment book or clearly market section of notebook


• Routinely check assignment book for accuracy, understanding and completeness


• Send daily/weekly progress reports home


• Use colors and shapes to help student organize


• Try more visual learning --instead of memorizing words, ask student to make a movie in their head and play it back


• Regularly check desk and notebooks for neatness


• If possible, allow student to have extra set of books for home

Source Materials

Developmental Variations and Learning Disorders by Melvin D. Levine

ADAPT (Attention Deficit Accommodation Plan for Teaching), Harvey C. Parker, Ph.D.

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